Considerable handling of a corpse is required prior to final disposition of the body. The corpse must be moved from the site of death, possibly stored for identification and mounted for autopsy, moved to a funeral preparation site, mounted again for funeral preparation, moved again to the funeral site, handled in preparing the corpse for the funeral, with possible viewing, and then finally moved to the site for final disposition. In all of the moving and handling, the body and body substances may be exposed to a number of people, both in line of professional services and mourners. It has long been known that the deceased continue to carry the diseases of the cause of death as well as those incidental to such cause, and that these diseases may be highly contagious during the period of time from the moment of death to the final disposition of the body. Today, more then ever, it has become most imperative to treat the deceased with a great deal of care in avoiding the spread of infection. There is a great need for a cremation container for the deceased that is able to contain the corpse and fluids expelled therefrom in such a manner that the spread of infection is totally avoided.
Additionally, there is a need for an inexpensive body cremation container which is at once strong, impermeable, durable, easily stored and shipped in quantity and which is burned without producing residues and pollutants.
The relevant prior art includes a variety of burial and other cremation container having features of interest and which are made of a great variety of materials. For example, Edwards, U.S. Pat. No. 1,507,957 discloses a cremation container composition made of rice, straw, paper, wood pulp and water. Post and Kersten, U.S. Pat. No. 1,348,579 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,234,180 respectively, disclose cremation container compositions of paper. Listing U.S. Pat. No. 1,730,666 shows a mortar-like, cementitious composition. Wilson in U.S. Pat. No. 2,004,454 discloses a fiber outer layer with an asphaltum inner layer. Warner, Taylor, West and Skolnik disclose compressed paper, asphalt over plywood, an asphalt lamination and pitch impregnated paper respectively in U.S. Pat. Nos. 749,763, 2,156,552, 2,327,949, and 2,448,923 respectively.
Some of the prior art materials are highly flammable and do burn with little residue or pollutants. Some of the prior art materials are strong or have other attributes such as compactness or light weight. None of the prior art discloses or claims a cremation container for the intended use which is at once a pathogen barrier and yet provides the other important advantages of the instant invention.